Contemporary Edible Landscaping

Flowers

• Flowers are commonly used for food and dessert decoration. Edible flowers easily used in landscaping include chrysanthemum, clovers, daisies, dandelions, daylilies, hibiscus, pansies, roses, sunflowers, violet and zucchini blossoms. Use the petals, stems and other parts of these flowers in drinks, salads, soups, teas and other culinary creations.

Trees

• Newer fruit tree styles, including dwarf versions of larger trees, are recent uses in landscaping. Common trees for landscaping include apple, apricot, cherry, jujube, mulberry, olive, peach, pear and plum trees. Other edible trees used today in landscaping include cactus, bamboo and palm trees.

Shrubs

• Many trees found in dwarf or shrub versions are low growing and suitable for landscaping purposes. Edible shrubs are blueberry, cherry, currant, elderberry, fig, gooseberry, honeysuckle and pomegranate. Each of these shrubs bear fruit or flowers that are eaten raw or used in desserts, soups, salads or other dishes.

Herbs

• Using herbs for aesthetic landscaping and groundcover is also a part of the edible landscaping trend. Herbs that are easily used in landscaping scenery include thyme, garlic chives, chocolate mint, lavender, rosemary, sweet bay laurel lemongrass, sage, violet spearmint, basil.